The Favor
by Machias Banshee
Summary: A One-shot story by Me! Inspired by Splinter! Written for you... :)


((lol, since Splinter updated with her oneshot, I decided to post mine as well. Extra special thanks to her and her "NO LEO!"s and encouragement to try a one-shot story. I'm working on my other stories too, I swear! Oh yes… the boys here are also around 7 or 8… ))

Little lines of concentration grew on the young turtle's forehead as he carefully worked on writing his name. He peeked under his hand as he slowly worked on making a lower-case d in his name. He'd get it right this time… He knew the rest of his name, but the d was always evil and became a b by accident. Leonarbo just didn't have the same special feeling….

"Leo?"

The young turtle glanced at the two-toed feet that dug into the floor beside his elbow. He looked up and saw his littlest brother standing beside him, one finger hanging from the corner of his mouth.

"Leo..? Can I ask you something?"

The boy set his crayon down on the writing pad. "What is it Mikey?"

"I need a favor…", Mike replied, his speech marred by the hanging digit. Leonardo leaned his head on his arm, wondering what Mike wanted this time.

Mike had been pestering him and his brothers all day, since Splinter had left to go foraging for the afternoon. He had already been chased out of the bedroom by Raphael, and Donatello had told Mike that the chemical he was working with was so volatile that any noise could make it blow up the entire room. It certainly kept Mike from bothering him again.

"Uh.. Could I borrow something from you?" the orange bandana'd boy asked, wiping his drooly finger on his leg. The oldest boy on the floor frowned slightly as to why. "Just a… second opinion."

"Second opinion? About what?"

Mike peeked around the living room before looking back down at him. "You gotta come with me first.."

A light came on in Leo's mind, but he shook his head and got to his feet. Mike must have done something he shouldn't have, Again. Or Raphael… he'd have to check.

"Ok, ok… this better not take long." Leo looked at the grateful and slightly anxious look on his brother's face.

"It wont, I promise!" Mike took Leo's hand and headed down the hall.

They soon came up to Splinter's bedroom door. Mike let go of Leo's hand and went to open the door. Leo quickly reached out, catching Mike's hand.

"Mike, we're not supposed to go into papa's room…"

"Its only for a second, Leo," the small turtle pleaded, "Pleeeeeeease?"

He was greeted with a look from his brother. "Why? Did you touch something?" Mike ignored the question, opening the door.

"Just go in and peek at something. You're not going into anything, I promise.." Mike replied, looking at his brother with his most hopeful face.

"We're going to get in trouble, Mikey," Leo sighed, stepping into the room.

"No we wont... Now, go over near Splinter's bed. There's.. something on the floor..," Mike told him, watching from the doorway.

Leo stepped into the room, not bothering to turn the lights on. Enough came in from the hallway. He walked over to Splinter's bed, seeing a shirt laying on the floor. Sensei was usually very good about keeping his own room clean. It was the rest of them that were still in the cluttered stages, some worse than others.

'Why's his shirt on the floor?" Leo took the edge of the white silk shirt in one small green hand.

"Its part of what I had to ask you…"

Leonardo frowned, picking up the shirt. Underneath, laid a HUGE black stain. A small black bottle of calligraphy ink lay on its side, its contents rubbed into the rug and the formerly white shirt.

"That'll come out... right?"

Leo looked up at his brother wide eyed, "Mike, what did you do!"

"It was an accident, I didnt know the top was loose!" The guilty turtle replied, pulling his head into his shell and peeking at his brother. Leo groaned, kneeling down beside the mess.

"We gotta clean this up before papa gets back from his trip..." He cringed as he touched the silky shirt. It was an old shirt that their Sensei loved very much. The chances of his brother coming out of this unscathed was very low. REALLY low…

"Is..is papa gonna be mad.?" Mike's lower lip quivered, his voice muffled inside the shell. "I gonna get punissed, I know it… he's gonna be Reawwy mad…" His lisp from his toddler days always came out whenever he got scared about something.

"Calm down Mikey," Leo said, shaking his head, "We need to clean this up, now."

Mike sniffled, wiping his beak on his arm. "I'll get the soap and some water, I promise..."

Leo looked the shirt over, frowning as he got ink on his hands. "Just hurry up." Mike scrambled from the doorway and down the hall. Leo sighed, looking at the black splotch on the floor.

"This is bad…. Really bad…" He uprighted the small ink bottle, getting more ink on himself as a result. He sighed, hearing the door behind him open. "Hurry up Mikey…we gotta get the ink off the rug before papa comes back and sees it."

"Sees what, Leonardo?"

The old voice made Leonardo freeze. He slowly turned around, seeing his father's dark silhouette standing in the doorway. He swallowed hard, trying to find his words.

"Papa…I… didn't.. know that was you."

Leo blinked a lil as Splinter turned on the overhead light and walked towards him. His stomach twinged as his father's eyes fell down to the stain on the floor. Splinter's eyes widened at the formerly white shirt in the turtle's hand.

"Leonardo... what did you do?"

Leo blinked, looking from his father to the mess on the shirt and his hands. He blinked widely. _Wait a second, I didn't do this!_

"Papa, its not what it looks like…" Splinter folded his arms, giving him a look.

Mike suddenly scurried into the room, breathing hard. A bottle of soap and a bucket of warm water in his hands, water slopping on the floor.

"I got the soap and stuff you wanted, Leo! I hope you can..." he blinked at Splinter's form, "Uh..."

Splinter turned, looking from Mike and the soapy water to Leonardo, frowning. He gave his son his sternest look. "Leonardo..."

Leo's eyes widened, not believing he was getting blamed for the mess. He looked to Mike desperately. Mike glanced from Leo to their father and swallowed.

"I'll just...leave these here and...bye Leo..," he set the stuff down and hurried from the room.

Leo blinked at his brother's speedy retreat. "Mike, get back—"

"Leonardo Hamato..." Splinter's voice quicly caught his attentions, "How many times have I told you to not come into my room when I am not here?"

Leo couldn't believe this was happening. Mike put the whole thing onto HIM! "But...I...", he looked from his hands to the blotch on the floor, "I didnt do it, I swear!"

"Then how is the ink on your hands, young man?"

The framed turtle looked at his father pleadingly. "But papa..."

Splinter shook his head at his son. "We are going to clean this up, and then get you washed up and ready for bed. I think an early bedtime will suffice."

Leo looked at his father in surprise, "But papa...!"

Splinter gave him a look. "Would you rather we discuss you sneaking in here and getting into things you shouldn't?" Leo blinked and shrank down, shaking his head. The handsome fatherly rat nodded.

"This will teach you not to come in here when you are not supposed to," Splinter told him, kneeling down beside him and handing him the soap and setting the water bucket between them. The young turtle pouted, taking the soap and began scrubbing at the stain.

_More like never let Mike drag me into stuff ever again…_

Meanwhile, a small turtle drew contently on a writing pad in the living room. He had successfully put the blame onto Leo and would retain the title of Good child for the evening.

_  
Thanks for the favor, Leonardo…_

The End. Until Leo gets him back…


End file.
